Super VF

[Thomas P]

I had talked to Masao not to long ago about the fact that I had been working on an improved Valley Forge mesh. I also saw Jan Wehlack's new version and was further inspired to have a go at completing my update. I am going to take it a step further and try a 'super-size' version. This means way too many polys for fast play and most of the detail done with the model and not texture effects.

To start off, here is the new bridge assembly. This is probably 70% done and at 19,000 polys and uses one texture mask. I don't really know where the other 30% is going to go yet :D

http://www.concept40.com/galleries/sciartpost/10182001/bridge_wip01.jpg

[Hito]

And here i thought VF ment veritech fighter :D

[Masao]

Good god, are those rivets???

[Thomas P]

Not rivets just fasteners (took the look from NASA pics of station component assembly).

[Thomas P]

Hey lookie! Here is another wip, just about done (well, 60%) of the refit version around 2271. That's right, I'm gonna do the museum version and a theoretical refitted version.

Well, that's my plan :D

http://www.concept40.com/galleries/sciartpost/10182001/bridge_wip02.jpg

Masao,

I have ditched the fasteners because they now look like rivets! :eek:

[Masao]

A refit VF. So, would this be refit after the Connie appears but before the Connie itself is refit? So, you'd be foreshadowing Connie refit components? Interesting...

[skyhawk223]

Fasteners? Holy cow, I hadn't even noticed them before. I like it!

[Thomas P]

The fasteners are gone - I went back and looked at my reference pics and found one with an astronaut - you would never see them except if you were at arms length from them. They are pretty flush. It does appear that most of the stuff is secured from inside anyway. But it looked cool :D

Masao, yes the refit would preceed the refit of the Constitution class. I figure it would have to to allow for actual use of those ships that would get refit.

[Thomas P]

Here is the pre-TOS saucer section in preliminary form. I had some difficulty in getting the bezier curve sections on the spline the way I wanted. The first few versions had nasty transitions and too many polys on the bends that would not smooth. This shot has an initial bump map on the upper surface. Most details will be built on but the grid lines are too small for those mesh versions folks like to do.

http://www.concept40.com/galleries/sciartpost/10182001/saucer_wip01.jpg

The bump map is 2040 x 2040 pixles and the texture map will be about the same (upper surface only).

[skyhawk223]

You are not going to model in the grid lines?

[Thomas P]

Okay, bowing to the enourmous pressure from Skyhawk ( :D ) I have modeled in the grid lines. Look at the pic above and you will see that it is a revised version.

[skyhawk223]

Enormous pressure? I didn't think I had that kind of clout around here :)
What technique do you use for your gridlines? Do you boolean them out?
I try that with trueSpace but it always give me some sort of an error.
Looks sharp.

[Thomas P]

Well I'm glad the pressure is off - whew!

The lines are extruded. You select the various panels, in groups, by giving them a material ID. You then take and negatively extrude and bevel. Then you go back and select the groups, one at a time, and positively extrude by the same amount and then an additional negative bevel.

There are a couple of tutorials on this out there and you can figure it out by reading the manual (Huh? What did I say - manual?).

If you do this particular process you have to plan your object in advance to get the correct polys on the surface you are going to use. As it was, this mesh had to have a few shape merge operations to get it right.

[Thomas P]

Okay, more work on the saucer. I have some work done on the torpedo bay and the front view ports. The docking clamp pads and nav / formation lights are on too. Nothing on the bottom yet. Trying to figure out an issue with surface smoothing problems I am seeing when I add new surface details, so I have been slowed somewhat.

http://www.concept40.com/galleries/sciartpost/10182001/saucer_wip02.jpg

The torpedo bay launch tubes have guide racks that on close up you can see. They won't get too much more attention but are there to add some detail when it is lite up.

[Thomas P]

Oh yeah, here is some additional work on the refitted bridge as well.

http://www.concept40.com/galleries/sciartpost/10182001/bridge_pt_wip01.jpg

[Hito]

Try reading Vektor's theads on his modified TOS enterprise.
he delt with a bunch of prooblems with smoothing on his saucer as well

http://www.3dgladiators.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14759

[Thomas P]

Yeah, I've seen that one and drooled to no end. The problem I had was after the panel extrusion on the upper surface. When I tried adding the port holes I would get odd smoothing errors on various panels. It's some kind of bug that only seems to be occurring with this model.

To get around a few of the issues Vector first saw and solved for I use the slice option. I'll go in and break up areas that will get complex shape merges applied.

I like his negative extrude trick though, I might just try that.

[skyhawk223]

Love that bridge design. Great work on it!

[Masao]

I got nothing to say, really, other than this is fun to see come together. Carry on.

[Thomas P]

Okay - not fully appreciated in this update is the lower section has been paneled, the torpedo launcher re-done and part of the impulse deck started.

This low-light render shows the impulse coils on. If you look real hard you can see that the cabin port-holes now 'show-through'. Yep, I have put cabins behind the windows.
http://www.concept40.com/galleries/sciartpost/10182001/saucer_wip03.jpg

[Thomas P]

Nothing cute, just started the engineering hull and have a lot done. It's got a few smoothing probs but most are taken care of and the few left will likely never show up.

http://www.concept40.com/galleries/sciartpost/10182001/hull01.jpg
http://www.concept40.com/galleries/sciartpost/10182001/hull02.jpg

[Masao]

Ya, looks pretty good.

[skyhawk223]

Looking great so far. So you built cabins, huh? Crazy.
Looks like you've got your neck stuck out pretty far on this one (judging by the last shot looking up) :)

[Thomas P]

Have been side-tracked from 3D lately but have, IMO, finished the engine nacell. Take a look see.

http://www.concept40.com/galleries/sciartpost/10182001/nacVF.jpg

I have to start on the textures for the balance of the ship now and hope to be done a few days from now.

[Masao]

That's a very pretty nacelle.

[Thomas P]

I'm still working on her :D

http://www.concept40.com/galleries/sciartpost/10182001/hull03.jpg

I just don't feel right about the texture on the hull. This is my third version. I know TOS ships lack much in the way of true detail but I can't help wanting to put a little something into it.

[Masao]

Enterprise doesn't have too much paneling, but did have quite a few surface markings, like numbers and little signs. Those help give a bit of scale.

[skyhawk223]

I know it's hard to resist adding some paneling. I am working on the Cutlass (by Caudex) now and applied paneling. It's too heavy, though, so it will be removed and replaced with something lighter. It should have something, however. Look at any sort of large vehicle today and you will see panels. I doubt that in the 23rd century, they can extrude ships out of a single piece of metal.

[Thomas P]

I saw that you had picked the Cutlass as a next project. I've done a few of Caudex's designs. This latest one looks like a fitting TOS project - eagerly awaiting it :D.

I am done with the Hull texture - it has been simplified and I will be adding the other details seen on the Connie that would likely be on the VF.

[skyhawk223]

I was going to post some updates, but the stupid disk I had the mesh on corrupted. I will have to copy it to a new disk tomorrow and try again.

[Masao]

I like his Constellation-style ship with the fat primary hull and above and below nacelles. I've been thinking of adapting it for the museum.

[Thomas P]

Hey - an update!

Registration has been modeled in as well as a few more misc lines. I have started the light rig and have 180-spots inset to the lower windows that have recesses.

http://www.concept40.com/galleries/sciartpost/10182001/vf3dgwip02.jpg

[skyhawk223]

180 spots? You are truly insane. How does that inpact render time?

[Thomas P]

Originally posted by skyhawk223
180 spots? You are truly insane. How does that inpact render time?

Oops! 180 degree spots - or spots set to hemisphere :D

[skyhawk223]

Oh. That's more like it...
I have tried to do that with tS, but I can only get about 150 degrees.

[Masao]

It looks done to me! Great stuff!